Washington tests wrong-way warnings

| Thursday, January 03, 2002

The Washington
Department of Transportation will install a new warning system
early this year to alert wrong-way drivers who mistake exits for
on-ramps. Officials are hopeful the system will reduce the number
of serious wrong-way crashes in the state.

The department
will install a pair of experimental emergency signs at a freeway
ramp in the Seattle-Everett corridor, after studying where the
area's wrong-way crashes are occurring. The signs will flash "WRONG
WAY" in red if a driver takes a wrong turn, and flashers
will blink for a couple of minutes. Cameras record driver behavior.

Each year,
there are about 80 wrong-way crashes on the state's freeways and
limited-access highways, according to the Seattle Times. Drunken
driving, fog, old age, drowsiness or driver impairment from prescription
drugs is frequently the cause. A $50,000 grant from the Federal
Highway Administration paid for the signs.